Mandatory shipper registration will not disrupt trade

The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana has assured the trading community that the Ghana Shippers Authority’s mandatory registration requirement, should not generate uncertainty within the import and export sector.

The Authority, in a public notice, called on all importers and exporters yet to complete the registration process to do so ahead of the implementation date to ensure uninterrupted shipping and trade operations.

Speaking to Citi Business News, Executive Secretary of the Association, Samson Asaki Awingobit, said the registration exercise is not intended to introduce new taxes or place any additional financial burden on businesses.

“I don’t think that there is a need for any fear and panic in this regard. Shipper’s Authority are always working with shippers in this country. They are a statutory body and they have to regulate the industry.We are aware, we have discussed this. We just do not want them to make it like it is a new thing that has come and for that matter it is to make noise out of it.

“This is not something new. I think that this is not a major thing for us to say that Shippers’ Authority are trying to stretch the neck of the business community and take something from them or unduly regulate them. It is in their law,” he said.

Importers and exporters operating in Ghana will be required to complete mandatory shipper registration with the Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA) from August 3, 2026, as enforcement of the requirement begins on the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS) platform.

The directive is in line with Section 26(1) of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority Act, 2024 (Act 1122), which mandates the registration of all shippers.

The Ghana Shippers’ Authority announced that the requirement will now be enforced through the ICUMS platform
The Authority noted that the annual shipper registration fee remains GH¢150, as prescribed under the Fees and Charges (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations, 2025 (L.I. 2512).

The registration is valid for 12 calendar months and covers all shipment transactions undertaken by the registered shipper during the validity period.